Loneliness In Children Research Articles

Psychosocial status of patients with unilateral and bilateral microtia before auricular reconstruction surgery

ObjectiveMicrotia can profoundly influence health-related quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychosocial status of children and adolescents with unilateral and bilateral microtia before reconstruction surgery. MethodsEighty-six patients with microtia from Peking Union Medical College Hospital (54 with unilateral microtia and 32 with bilateral microtia) responded to structured interviews before reconstruction surgery. The 3 clinically validated questionnaires were the Piers-Harris Children's Self-concept Scale (PHCSS), the Social Anxiety Scale for Children (SASC), and the Children's Loneliness Scale (CLS). Scores from the PHCSS and SASC were compared with Chinese norms. The total scores of the unilateral and bilateral groups were compared for all three questionnaires. ResultsMales with unilateral and bilateral microtia had significantly different PHSCC scores than norms (both P < 0.05), and male patients overall had a total score that was 10.61 ± 2.20 points lower than female patients overall. Patients who were 7–9 years-old in the unilateral group and 10 to 13 years-old in the bilateral group had lower total PHSCC scores than norms of the same age (both P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between patients and norms in the 14-16 years-old group. The SASC scores of patients were significantly higher than the norms (P < 0.05). The CLS score was significantly lower in the unilateral group than in the bilateral group (50.17 ± 14.63 vs. 61.38 ± 13.24, P < 0.05), but these two groups did not significantly differ in PHCSS and SASC scores. ConclusionCompared to Chinese norms, children with unilateral and bilateral microtia had lower self-concept, especially males and those who were 7–13 years-old. Patients with microtia also had increased social anxiety and loneliness. Patients with bilateral microtia were more likely to report loneliness than those with unilateral microtia.

Loneliness and mental health in children and adolescents with pre-existing mental health problems: A rapid systematic review.

Periods of social isolation are associated with loneliness in children and young people, and loneliness is associated with poor mental and physical health. Children and young people with pre-existing mental health difficulties may be prone to loneliness. Containment of COVID-19 has necessitated widespread social isolation, with unprecedented school closures and restrictions imposed on social interactions. This rapid review aimed to establish what is known about the relationship between loneliness and mental health problems in children and young people with pre-existing mental health problems. We sought to identify all primary research that examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between loneliness/perceived social isolation and mental health in children and young people with pre-existing mental health problems. We also aimed to identify effective interventions that reduce the adverse impact of loneliness. A rapid systematic search was conducted using MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. Of 4,531 papers screened, 15 included children and young people with pre-existing mental health conditions. These 15 studies included 1,536 children and young people aged between 6 and 23 years with social phobia, anxiety and/or depression, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Loneliness was associated with anxiety and depression both cross-sectionally and prospectively in children and young people with mental health problems and neurodevelopmental conditions. We found preliminary evidence that psychological treatments can help to reduce feelings of loneliness in this population. Loneliness is associated with depression and anxiety in children and young people with pre-existing mental health conditions, and this relationship may be bidirectional. Existing interventions to address loneliness and/or mental health difficulties in other contexts may be applied to this population, although they may need adaptation and testing in younger children and adolescents. Loneliness is common in children and young people, and during periods of enforced social isolation such as during COVID-19, children and young people report high levels of loneliness (or increased rates of loneliness). The review showed that loneliness is associated, both cross-sectionally and prospectively, in children and young people with mental health problems and also in children and young people with neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder. Thus, loneliness is a possible risk factor of which mental health providers should be aware. Maintaining social contact both by direct and by indirect means, especially through the Internet, could be important in mitigating loneliness. Interventions to address loneliness should be further developed and tested to help children and young people with pre-existing mental health problems who are lonely by preventing exacerbation of their mental health difficulties, in particular anxiety and depression.

The impact of a sports mentoring program on reducing the psychological loneliness of children in the housing institutions in Minya

The impact of a sports mentoring program on reducing the psychological loneliness of children in the housing institutions in Minya

Childhood loneliness as a specific risk factor for adult psychiatric disorders.

Loneliness is a major risk factor for both psychological disturbance and poor health outcomes in adults. This study aimed to assess whether childhood loneliness is associated with a long-term disruption in mental health that extends into adulthood. This study is based on the longitudinal, community-representative Great Smoky Mountains Study of 1420 participants. Participants were assessed with the structured Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment interview up to eight times in childhood (ages 9-16; 6674 observations; 1993-2000) for childhood loneliness, associated psychiatric comorbidities and childhood adversities. Participants were followed up four times in adulthood (ages 19, 21, 25, and 30; 4556 observations of 1334 participants; 1999-2015) with the structured Young Adult Psychiatric Assessment Interview for psychiatric anxiety, depression, and substance use outcomes. Both self and parent-reported childhood loneliness were associated with adult self-reported anxiety and depressive outcomes. The associations remained significant when childhood adversities and psychiatric comorbidities were accounted for. There was no evidence for an association of childhood loneliness with adult substance use disorders. More associations were found between childhood loneliness and adult psychiatric symptoms than with adult diagnostic status. Childhood loneliness is associated with anxiety and depressive disorders in young adults, suggesting that loneliness - even in childhood - might have long-term costs in terms of mental health. This study underscores the importance of intervening early to prevent loneliness and its sequelae over time.

Mobilising social support to improve mental health for children and adolescents: A systematic review using principles of realist synthesis.

Social support is a well-recognised protective factor for children's mental health. Whilst many interventions exist that seek to mobilise social support to improve children's mental health, not much is known about how to best do this. We sought to generate knowledge about the ways in which social support can be mobilised to improve children's mental health. We conducted a systematic review, which followed the principles of a realist synthesis. The following databases were searched: PubMed, CINAHL, Ovid MEDLINE, PsychINFO, EMBASE, Child and Adolescent Studies, EconLit and SocINDEX. Studies were included if the age of participants was between 0 and 18 years and they evaluated or described programme theories of interventions that sought to improve children's mental health by mobilising social support. Relevance and quality of studies were assessed, and data were extracted and analysed narratively. Thirty-three articles were included. Studies varied substantially with regard to the detail in which they described the processes of mobilising social support and expected mechanisms to improve children's mental health. Those that provided this detail showed the following: Intervention components included explaining the benefits of social support and relationships to families and modelling friendly relationships to improve social skills. Pathways to improved outcomes reflected bi-directional and dynamic relationships between social support and mental health, and complex and long-term processes of establishing relationship qualities such as trust and reciprocity. Parents' ability to mobilise social support for themselves and on behalf of children was assumed to impact on their children's mental health, and (future) ability to mobilise social support. Although interventions were considered affordable, some required substantial human and financial resources from existing systems. Mobilising social support for vulnerable children can be a complex process that requires careful planning, and theory-informed evaluations can have an important role in increasing knowledge about how to best address social support and loneliness in children.

The Effect of “Friends” Program Training on the Loneliness of 8-18 Years Old Children with Thalassemia Major in Golestan Province of Iran

Introduction: Beta thalassemia is an inherited genetic disorder that is associated with severe physical and mental illnesses. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of “Friends” program training on the loneliness of children with thalassemia major at thalassemia centers of Golestan.Materials and Methods: This quasi-intervention study with two intervention and control groups was conducted on 50 children with thalassemia major aged 8-18 years referred to thalassemia centers in Golestan province in 2019. In the intervention group, the Friends program training was carried out in ten 60-minute long sessions. Demographic information form and Asher’s children loneliness questionnaire were the tools used for data collection. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software version 25 at the significance level of P &lt; 0.05.Results: The results showed that, the mean score of loneliness before the intervention was 33.32 ± 10.61 in the intervention group and 41.4 ± 12.20 in the control group. The mean score of loneliness after the intervention decreased to 28.36 ± 7.74 in the intervention group, and 40.68 ± 11.68 in the control group. The ANCOVA test showed a significant difference in the mean score of loneliness after the intervention by removing the effect of pretest (P = 0.01). Conclusion: The use of Friends program training can be considered as an efficient method in improving medical outcomes related to the loneliness of children with thalassemia and limiting unnecessary health care costs.

Protecting children with ADHD against loneliness: Familial and individual factors predicting perceived child's loneliness

The present study examined the association between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the experience of loneliness among school-age children in the context of COVID-19 social restrictions, and was specifically aimed to identify risk and protective factors that might help reduce loneliness. We hypothesized that parents of children with ADHD (compared to without) would perceive their children as experiencing higher levels of loneliness, and that perceived executive functions deficits, parents' social involvement, parental hope, and family cohesion would mediate this relationship. 280 parents of children (166 with ADHD, 114 without) completed questionnaires concerning their child. Children with ADHD were perceived by their parents as lonelier compared to their non-ADHD peers. Individual and parental factors fully mediated the association between ADHD and loneliness. Family cohesion moderated the association between executive function deficits and child's loneliness. We discuss this moderated mediation model in terms of the importance of parental resources for child's well-being in the face of COVID-19-related challenges.

Comparing the Effects of Group Play Therapy and Painting Therapy on Social Adjustment and Alienation among Children with Specific Learning Disabilities in Kermanshah, Iran

Background Most children with learning disorders suffer from anxiety, depression, alienation, and social adjustment difficulties, which must be taken into account in the treatment process. This study compared group play therapy and painting therapy's effectiveness on social adjustment and alienation among Iranian children with specific learning disabilities. Materials and Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test, post-test, follow-up design, and a control group. The statistical population included all the girl students with learning disabilities in Kermanshah, Iran, in 2019. The sample consisted of 45 children with specific learning disabilities selected by convenience sampling and divided into two experimental groups (group plays therapy & painting therapy, n = 15 per group), and a control group (n = 15). The research instruments included the Social Adjustment Scale and the Children's Loneliness Scale. The first experimental group underwent eight sessions (45-minute sessions per week) of group play therapy and the second experimental group underwent eight sessions (45-minute sessions per week) of painting therapy. The follow-up was performed after 45 days. Data analysis was done using SPSS software version 21.0. Results: The participants included 45 girl students with specific learning disabilities, aged 11.20 ± 1.22 years old. The results indicated that play therapy and painting therapy interventions alleviated alienation and improved social adjustment among students with learning disabilities (P=0.001). There was no significant difference between play therapy's effectiveness and that of painting therapy on social adjustment and alienation. Conclusion This intervention method can be employed to mitigate alienation and enhance social adjustment among children with learning disabilities.

The Associations between Loneliness and Self-Esteem in Children and Neglectful Behaviors of their Parents

The aim of this study was to examine the associations between loneliness and self-esteem in children and neglectful behaviors of their parents. The study group was comprised of 270 children attending four separate elementary schools in Hatay Turkey, as well as 270 parents. In terms of the data gathering instruments, an Individual Information Form was administered to both the children and parents for the purpose of gathering socio-demographic data. A Loneliness Scale was also administered to the children for the purpose of assessing their loneliness levels along with the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory for the purpose of assessing their self-esteem. On the other hand, the Multidimensional Neglectful Behaviors Scale-Parents Form was administered to the parents in order to assess the level of their neglectful behaviors. Prior to conducting statistical analysis, the relevant assumptions of regression were tested. For this purpose, the autocorrelation, linearity and normality of the data were examined. As a result, it was found that parents’ neglect scores were significantly and positively correlated with the scores of the Loneliness Scale for Children (p < .05) and negatively correlated with the scores of the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory (p < .01). The results of the stepwise regression analysis showed that the parents’ age, education level and neglectful behaviors predicted loneliness in children (p < .01). In terms of self-esteem in children, only neglectful behaviors of the parents was a significant predictor (p < .01). The results are discussed in line with the relevant findings in the literature.

A Systematic Review of the Development and Psychometric Properties of Loneliness Measures for Children and Adolescents.

This paper reviews the three most commonly used measures of loneliness for children and adolescents (children: Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents [LACA] and Children’s Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Scale [CLS]; adolescents: UCLA Loneliness Scale [UCLA] and LACA). Loneliness is a pertinent issue across populations and affects the mental health and academic achievement of children and adolescents. To date, there has been no thorough examination of the loneliness measures for this age group. We examine how each of the three measures was developed, and assess the psychometric properties of those measures, gaining insight into whether they are valid and reliable assessments of loneliness. Results suggest that the UCLA Loneliness Scale is the most popular measure of loneliness for use with adolescents, but it does not have robust psychometric properties for that group. For children, the CLS appears most suitable. Results of the review identify gaps in aspects of measure development, with no measure having been developed with children or adolescents. Implications for future loneliness measurement research are considered.

Parent and Child Mental Health Symptom Trajectories April-October 2020: Second-Wave Strict Lockdown Compared to COVID-Normal in Australia

Background: To control a second-wave COVID-19 outbreak, the state of Victoria in Australia experienced one of the world’s first long and strict lockdowns over July-October 2020, while the rest of Australia experienced ‘COVID-normal’ with minimal restrictions. We (1) investigate trajectories of parent/child mental health outcomes; and (2) identify baseline demographic, individual, and COVID-19-related factors associated with mental health trajectories. Methods: Online community sample of 1,877 Australian parents with rapid repeated assessment over 10 time-points over April-October, 2020. Measures assessed parent mental health (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales-21); child depression symptoms (13-item Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire); and child anxiety symptoms (four-items from Brief Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale). Results: Mental health trajectories shadowed COVID infection rates. Victorians reported a large peak in mental health symptoms at the time of the second-wave lockdown compared to other states. Key baseline predictors, including parent and child loneliness (standardised regression coefficient [β]=·09-·39), parent/child diagnoses (β=·11-·22), couple conflict (β=·09-·19), and COVID-19 stressors, such as worry/concern about COVID, illness, and loss of job (β=·07-·22), predicted elevated trajectories. Effects of predictors on parent and child mental health trajectories are illustrated in an online interactive app for readers (https://lingtax.shinyapps.io/CPAS_trend/). Conclusion and Relevance: Our findings provide evidence of worse trajectories of parent and child mental health symptoms associated with strict, sustained, COVID-19 lockdown in Victoria, compared to non-locked states in the rest of Australia. We identified several baseline factors that may be useful in detecting high risk families who are likely to require additional support early on in future lockdowns. Funding Statement: EW, AMW, & GK were supported by Deakin Faculty of Health Mid-Career Fellowships. ES was supported by an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (1110688) and a veski Inspiring Women’s Fellowship. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: This study uses data from ten time-points of the COVID-19 Pandemic Adjustment Survey (CPAS),22 an online community sample of 2,365 Australian parents of a child 0-18 years, investigating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Australian families. CPAS was approved by the Deakin University Human Ethics Advisory Group (HEAG-H 52_2020). Participants were recruited via paid and unpaid social media advertisements over 8-28th April, 2020, during the first-wave national lockdown in Australia, and were followed over ten time-points until the 5th October 2020.

An Examination of Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Bullying, Their Coping Strategies for Handling Bullying, and Perceived School Climate

Bullying is one of the most frequently observed aggressive behaviours in schools. It is quite significant problem since it creates many major problems such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and loneliness in children and adolescents who are bullies, victims, and bully-victims. Studies have revealed that teachers are the people that students mostly ask for help when they are subjected to bullying. Therefore, teachers play a crucial role in the prevention of bullying as bullying is mostly observed in schools and children mostly ask for their help in such a situation. Being actively involved in the bullying processes, teachers become role models for students both with their attitudes and behaviour, and the coping strategies they use when bullying incidents take place. The aim of this research was to analyze teachers’ attitudes towards bullying, the coping strategies they use when they are faced with bullying, and their perceptions of the existing school climate. A total of 396 teachers (280 female, 116 male) from 12 different middle schools participated in this research. The results revealed that female teachers showed humanistic and authoritarian attitudes more, and used working with the victim; enlisting other adults; and disciplining the bully strategies more frequently compared to male teachers. Additionally, significant age differences were found on the coping strategies that the teachers used. According to the results of the regression analysis the coping strategies of the female teachers; the older ones; the teachers that had too much humanistic and uncompassionate attitudes; and the teachers who perceived instructional innovation more positively were found out to be more effective.

Investigation of the Association Between Loneliness, Social Skill Levels and Internet Addiction in Junior High School Students’

Aim: This study was conducted to investigate the association between internet addiction(IA), and social skills and loneliness levels in junior high school students and to determine the factors affecting their IA levels. Method: The population of the study consisted of students attending junior high schools in Kirklareli, in the 2017-2018 academic year(N=10,682).After minimum sample size was calculated as 668, 693 students were reached. In the study, the Internet Addiction Scale(IAS), Matson Evaluation and Social Skills with Youngsters(MESSY) and Children's Loneliness Scale(CLS) were used to collect the study data. Results: Of the students, 13.5% were moderate, 1.5% were severe internet addicts. The results of the adjusted Multivariate Linear Regression analysis indicated that while there was a positive association between IAS scores and the scores for the NegativeMESSY(β:0.345, 95%CI:0.252;0.439,p&amp;lt;0.001) and CLS(β:0.169, 95%CI:0.050;0.288,p&amp;lt;0.01), there was no association between the IAS scores and PositiveMESSY scores(p&amp;gt;0.05).The risk of IA was high in the male gender, &amp;gt;12 years of age, those who perceive their academic success poorly, whose monthly household income was &amp;gt;3000₺/500$ and those who do not have parental control in internet use(p&amp;lt;0.05). Conclusion: The students’ IA levels are affected by their socio-demographic and internet usage characteristics. Their levels of negative social skills and loneliness increase as their IA level increase.

Hubungan Empathy dengan Loneliness pada Anak Panti Asuhan Evangeline Booth dan Wiliam Both Medan

This study aims to determine the relationship between empathy with loneliness of children at the Putri Evangeline Booth Orphanage and Putra Wiliam Booth Orphanage. This research was conducted at Putri Evangeline Booth Orphanage located on Jl. Samanhudi No. 27, Hamdan, Medan and the Putra Wiliam Booth Orphanage located on Jl. K. L. Yos Sudarso No. 10, Medan. This study uses primary data for hypothesis testing. While the data collection method used is a questionnaire that was distributed to the study sample. The sample used in this study were 101 respondents. Data analysis technique used in this research is to use Pearson Product Moment correlation analysis method which is done with the help of SPSS 25 for Windows software. The results of data analysis show that the correlation value of product moment is -0.868. This means that there is a negative relationship between empathy and loneliness. The influence of empathy variable on loneliness is 75.3 percent, the remaining 24.7 percent is influenced by other factors not examined. From this study, we can also know that empathy held by children at Putri Evangeline Orphanage and Putra Wiliam Booth Orphanage are included in the high category. Loneliness felt by children is included in the low category. And empathy was proven to have a negative and significant relationship to loneliness in children raised at Putri Evangeline Orphanage and Putra Wiliam Booth Orphanage.

Covitality moderates the relationship between victimisation and loneliness

ABSTRACT Objective: Research suggests that low levels of school belonging and high levels of victimisation predict negative emotions, including loneliness. However, few studies have examined this relation among Chinese elementary school students. The protective role of covitality against victimisation and loneliness also remains unexplored. This study examines the relations between bullying victimisation, school belonging, covitality, and loneliness over 6 months, and whether covitality moderates the relations between victimisation and loneliness. Method: Eight hundred students from five elementary schools in China completed self‐report surveys at two time points (6 months apart). Results: Bullying victimisation, school belonging, and covitality predicted loneliness 6 months later. Students who experienced more bullying victimisation, lower levels of school belonging, and lower covitality reported more loneliness 6 months later. Covitality buffered the relation between verbal victimisation at Time 1 (T1) and loneliness at T1 but did not buffer the relation between victimisation T1 and loneliness at Time 2 (T2). Conclusions: Schools should prevent bullying, foster school belonging, and promote covitality (positive psychological traits) to reduce Chinese youths' feelings of loneliness. KEY POINTS What is already known about this topic: (1) Victimisation is a risk factor for loneliness for children in the United States. (2) School belonging is a protective factor for loneliness for children in United States. (3) Covitality is a protective factor for youth. What this topic adds: (1) Victimisation is a risk factor for loneliness for children in China. (2) School belonging and covitality are protective factors against loneliness for children in China. (3) Covitality moderates the relation between verbal victimisation and loneliness using cross‐sectional data only.

Effects of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review.

Loneliness and social isolation have negative consequences on physical and mental health in both adult and pediatric populations. Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) are often excluded and experience more loneliness than their typically developing peers. This scoping review aims to identify the type of studies conducted in children with NDD to determine the effects of loneliness and/or social isolation. Three electronic databases (Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO) were searched from inception until 5 February 2019. Two independent reviewers screened the citations for inclusion and extracted data from the included articles. Quantitative (i.e., frequency analysis) and qualitative analyses (i.e., content analysis) were completed. From our search, 5768 citations were screened, 29 were read in full, and 12 were included. Ten were case-control comparisons with cross-sectional assessment of various outcomes, which limited inference. Autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and learning disorder were the most commonly studied NDD. This review showed that loneliness among children with NDD was associated with negative consequences on mental health, behaviour, and psychosocial/emotional development, with a likely long-term impact in adulthood. Lack of research in this area suggests that loneliness is not yet considered a problem in children with NDD. More studies are warranted using prospective designs and a larger sample size with a focus on the dynamic aspect of loneliness development.

Relationships Between Children’s Shyness, Play Disconnection, and Loneliness: Moderating Effect of Children’s Perceived Child-Teacher Intimate Relationship

Loneliness is a significant problem that predicts immediate and long-term negative outcomes for young children. This study examines the mediating effect of children's play disconnection on the relationship between their shyness and loneliness, as well as the moderating effect of children's perceived child-teacher intimate relationship on the relationships between child shyness, play disconnection, and loneliness. Participants include 171 4 to 6year old South Korean children and their teachers and mothers. Children's teachers were asked to respond to the questions measuring child shyness and play disconnection, and the mothers assisted their children to answer the questions measuring child loneliness and child-teacher intimate relationship. The results of the study are as follows. First, child shyness affected loneliness via play disconnection. Second, child-teacher intimate relationship moderated the relationships between child shyness and loneliness and between child shyness and play disconnection. However, the association between play disconnection and loneliness was not moderated by child-teacher intimate relationship. The findings of the study suggest that teachers not only provide shy children with emotional support but also build affectionate and intimate relationships with them to support their peer play and to reduce their feelings of loneliness.

Left‐Behind Children's Grandparent–Child and Parent–Child Relationships and Loneliness: A Multivariable Mediation Model

ObjectiveThe current study tested the association between family relationships and left‐behind children's loneliness, as well as mediators of those associations.BackgroundThere is considerable concern in China about the psychological well‐being of rural children whose parents move to urban areas for work, so‐called left‐behind children. However, there have been inconsistent results in the research concerning loneliness for these children.MethodParticipants were Chinese left‐behind children from rural families in which one or both parents had left to work in an urban area (N = 399; 139 females; 11–16 years of age). The children completed questionnaires on grandparent–child relationships, parent–child relationships, emotional intelligence, peer relationships, and loneliness.ResultsPositive parent–child relationships were negatively associated with left‐behind children's loneliness. Path analysis showed that more positive grandparent–child and parent–child relationships were associated with a higher level of emotional intelligence and better peer relationships, which in turn were negatively associated with lower child loneliness. Moreover, the unique effect of parent–child relationships was higher than that of grandparent–child relationships in predicting left‐behind children's loneliness.ConclusionIt appears possible that a positive relationship with grandparents can lessen the loneliness experienced by left‐behind children, but the parent–child relationship is still more important for this aspect of psychological adjustment. Emotional intelligence and peer relationships appear to be mechanisms that account for the association between positive family relationships and lower loneliness in this group of children.ImplicationsThe results are discussed in terms of the role that parents and grandparents can play in interventions to help this population.

Relations of friendship experiences with depressive symptoms and loneliness in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analytic review.

Well-established psychological theories indicate that interpersonal relationships and emotional well-being are linked in fundamental ways (Coyne, 1976; Sullivan, 1953). Indeed, difficulties in close relationships can contribute to emotional adjustment problems, and emotional problems can adversely affect close relationships. Moreover, different close relationships are especially significant in terms of development and adjustment at different stages of the life span. The current review focuses on childhood and adolescence, developmental stages at which friendships are particularly important. This article presents the results of 16 meta-analyses including 589 unique effects from 233 studies that examine concurrent and longitudinal associations between youths' friendship experiences (number of friends, positive friendship quality, negative friendship quality) and their emotional adjustment (depressive symptoms and loneliness). Studies examining these associations are mixed in regard to whether significant effects emerge. The current research synthesis provides more stable estimates of the effects. In fact, relatively small but significant concurrent and longitudinal associations emerged between the 3 indices of friendship with depressive symptoms and loneliness. The results also suggest that friendship experiences may be more closely linked with loneliness than depressive symptoms and that negative friendship quality may be related to friendship experiences more strongly than number of friends or positive friendship quality. Interestingly, some of the relations were found to be stronger for younger youth. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Loneliness in children and young people in the UK

Children are often surrounded by people—other children, teachers, and family—and so the concept of children feeling lonely is not something we might think about. Often considered an issue impacting adults, the first statistics reported by the UK Office of National Statistics (ONS) on loneliness, collected using the Community Life Survey 2016–17, was a surprise. The age group who were the loneliest were those aged 16–24 years. In addition, 11% of children aged 10–15 years and 14% of those aged 10–12 years said they were often lonely.